“Saturn Devouring his Son”
One of the private paintings by Fancisco Goya that we weren’t supposed to see…
This well known, yet disturbing mixed medium panel painting is by the Spanish Romantic artist, Francisco Goya, from 1820 to 1823. It was never formally given a title by the artist himself, as it was a private painting, but art historians refer to it as “Saturn Devouring his Son”, or simply “Saturn”.
In this painting, Goya depicts the Greek myth of Cronus. In the story, Cronus (Saturn is his Romanized name), one of the Titan gods, hears that he will be overthrown by one of his own children. In an attempt to prevent that from happening, he eats each of his children right after they are born. Titan’s wife, Rhea (Ops), eventually hides his sixth son, Zeus (Jupiter), from him. Zeus, as was foretold, grows up and overthrows his father. This is a subject also painted by Peter Paul Rubens approximately 200 years earlier in the similarly named painting, “Saturn Devouring a Son”.
This is one in a series of 14 known as the Black Paintings that Goya painted on the walls of his house during his years of self-isolation. He began these paintings at the age of 72. Critics believe that they reflect his fear of going insane, his self-immersed isolation, and well his growing lack of faith in humanity.
These paintings were private and were never meant to be shown to the public. In 1819, Goya purchased the house known as Quinta del Sordo, or Villa of the Deaf, located just outside of Madrid’s city limits. “Saturn” decorated one of the walls in his dining room. Goya lived here until 1824 when he was exiled. In 1828, the series was catalogued by Antonio Brugada, one of Goya’s friends.
In 1873, Quinta del Sordo was purchased by Baron Émile d´Erlanger. He had the Black Painting murals transferred onto canvases, including this piece here. Unfortunately, some of the paintings were partially ruined during the process. However, the Baron decided to donate the works to the State. In 1909, the house was demolished.
The process of transferring paintings from wood or panels to a new canvas was a common practice from the eighteenth century onward. However, today, conservators opt to instead conserve the original wood backing. The process entails adhering first paper, then muslin on to the front of a painting, adhering the material directly on to the paint. The painting is then placed face down onto a table or other surface, and the backing is carefully planed away until there is just a very minimal width of wood panel behind the paint, or if the back of the paint itself is reached. A prepared canvas is then attached to the back side of the paint. The paper and muslin are then carefully removed from the front and the transfer is now complete.
“Saturn Devouring his Son” is currently on display at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain.
For more on Francisco Goya, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
